Taobao clarifies that merchants will gradually open WeChat Pay after September 12th
On September 5th, following the announcement of plans to add WeChat Pay capabilities, Taobao released a statement clarifying that it will gradually open WeChat Pay to all Taobao and Tmall merchants after September 12th. Currently, some merchants have gradually received invitations to open. According to the previous announcement released by Taobao and Tmall, in order to enhance consumers' shopping experience, Taobao plans to add WeChat payment capability and adjust platform rules after the feedback collection is completed.
Comment: This announcement also means that Taobao's full integration with WeChat Pay is about to officially land. In response to this, Taobao and Tmall have always adhered to the concept of open cooperation, actively explored interoperability and cooperation with various platforms, continuously improved consumer shopping experience, and made consumer shopping more convenient, enjoyable, and efficient. For WeChat and Taobao, this interoperability may not bring them a significant increase in user numbers, but providing consumers with more choices is also part of the consumer experience.
WeChat updates version on Apple iOS system
On the afternoon of September 6th, Apple completed the latest version update of WeChat before the debut of iPhone 16, which also quelled the speculation that "iPhone 16 is not compatible with WeChat or Apple WeChat". Previously, it was reported that Apple had increased the pressure on Tencent and ByteDance. Apple hoped to "plug" the payment loopholes in small games and prevent developers from directing users to external payment systems. Apple has warned Tencent that if they do not remove the ability for developers and users to bypass the Apple ecosystem, they will refuse to provide WeChat updates in the future.
Comment: The rumor of "choosing between WeChat and iPhone" has gradually subsided with the update of new versions of mobile applications, and Tencent and Apple have returned to the "negotiation table". This version update at least indicates that Apple's existing system still allows WeChat updates. At present, there is still controversy over whether mini games should be subject to the "Apple Tax", which refers to Apple commission. According to the "Report on China's Game Industry from January to June 2024" released by the Game Working Committee, the revenue of domestic mini program mobile games in the first half of the year was 16.603 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 60.5%.
CCTV is absent from the first match of the Chinese Football Association's round of 18, and iQiyi has bought the copyright at a high price
On September 5th, the Chinese national football team played their first away game against the Japanese team in the round of 18 qualifiers. This game is not only the first match of the round of 18 of the Chinese national football team, but also a crucial battle for the World Cup, attracting a large number of fans' attention. The poster posted on the Weibo account of the Chinese football team shows that iQiyi Sports is the only broadcasting platform in China, which means that CCTV will not broadcast the game. IQiyi's paid live broadcast of the Chinese national football match "has become a hot topic, and CCTV Sports has issued a statement stating that the copyright of the event is held by the Asian Football Group (AFG), the agency of the Asian Football Confederation." During the negotiation process, although our station repeatedly fought for it, the other party's offer was still extremely high.
Comment: The copyright dispute between CCTV and iQiyi reflects the soaring value of content, intense market competition, and changes in user viewing habits. Especially in this statement, it was mentioned that 'the competition in the sports copyright market has reached a highly commercialized level due to the inability to obtain the event copyright due to excessive pricing'. The industry expects that in the future, the competition between traditional television media and emerging streaming media for high-quality content may become more intense.
Dida Travel's stock price has risen by over 30%
On September 2nd, after the opening of Dida Travel, its stock price soared by more than 30%. As of the close, Didi Chuxing's stock price rose 31.29% to HKD 2.14. Regarding this, Chen Liteng, a digital life analyst at the NetEase E-commerce Research Center, told First Financial that the rise in stock prices is partly driven by good financial performance. The latest interim performance announcement released by Dida Travel shows that the company's total revenue in the first half of the year reached 404 million yuan, and the adjusted net profit increased by 51.3% year-on-year, reaching 130 million yuan. This performance attracted the attention of investors and drove up the stock price significantly.
On the other hand, from the perspective of market demand, Chen Liteng believes that China's ride hailing market is steadily recovering, with an increasing demand for residents' travel and a growing demand for shared mobility, providing more market opportunities for Didi Chuxing.
Comment: Although the stock price of Dida Travel has risen significantly, it is still far from the issue price. On June 28th of this year, after submitting five IPO applications, Dida Travel finally went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. On the first day of listing, it broke through and its stock price continued to decline. Two weeks after listing, Dida Travel's stock price has fallen by more than 50% compared to its issue price. At present, the stock price has fallen 64.3% from the issue price of HKD 6. In this regard, Chen Liteng believes that many Internet companies have a process of stock price volatility after listing. As long as the model can stand the test or continues to optimize later, it will eventually be recognized by capital.
Shanghai and Shenzhen release implementation plans for trade in programs
On September 3rd and 5th, Shanghai and Shenzhen respectively released implementation plans for trade in programs. In terms of exchanging old appliances for new ones, 20% and 15% of the first and second level energy efficiency products for the eight categories of household appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, air conditioners, computers, water heaters, household stoves, range hoods) specified by the state are subsidized respectively. Each consumer is subsidized one product of each category, with a subsidy not exceeding 2000 yuan per product. Shanghai and Shenzhen have also expanded their home appliance subsidy categories suitable for local consumption. Shanghai provides a 15% subsidy for floor cleaning robots, vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, and other equipment. Shenzhen provides a 10% subsidy for mobile phones and a 15% subsidy for tablets, smart wearables, consumer grade drones, consumer grade robots, 3C servers, projectors, smart sports equipment (including sports cameras), coffee machines, etc.
Comment: As of now, Hubei, Chongqing, Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai, Shenzhen and other places have released implementation plans for exchanging old appliances for new ones, which are expected to stimulate consumption in the domestic home appliance market in the third and fourth quarters of this year. The industry hopes that the implementation of trade in retail channels will have a wider coverage, taking into account small and medium-sized retail merchants, in order to achieve fair competition and convenience for consumers. Some electrical appliance retailers believe that the current practice of allowing retailers to advance subsidy funds has increased their financial pressure and may weaken the effectiveness of subsidy implementation. Retailers also suggest implementing separate subsidies for replacement and old machines.
The 2024 Bund Conference attracted 52000 visitors and more than 30 new AI achievements were released
On September 7th, 2024, the Inclusion · Bund Conference officially concluded. Official data shows that this conference attracted a total of 52000 people to attend in person, setting a new historical high in attendance.
Within three days, more than 30 new AI achievements were released at this year's Bund Conference, including Ant AI Life Manager "Zhi Xiaobao", AI Financial Manager "Ma Xiaocai", AI Health Manager, etc. The reporter observed that the topics of AI healthcare and "Deepfake" (deepfake technology) attack and defense are particularly concerned by the audience.
Comment: Emphasizing humanistic values has become a major feature of this year's Bund Conference. With the development of AI, the "evolution" of more AI medical products is related to people's lives and is also more anticipated. Experts say that the application of artificial intelligence in the medical and health industry should focus on improving accuracy, applicability, and safety. In addition, it is also necessary to pay attention to whether the introduction of artificial intelligence will lead to a decline in the skills of medical staff, misjudgment of trust in artificial intelligence, and information overload. At the same time, the risk of AIGC generation forgery is constantly increasing, and it becomes more critical to strengthen defense and AI governance through technology.
China's leading electrical and electronic enterprises make their debut at IFA exhibition
The 100th IFA (Berlin Consumer Electronics Show) was held in Berlin, Germany from September 6th to 10th. TCL、 Leading Chinese electrical and electronic companies such as Hisense, Midea, Haier, Changhong, Skyworth, Ecovacs, and XGIMI collectively showcased their determination and strength to continue promoting internationalization at the IFA exhibition. Artificial intelligence and green innovation are the focus of their display. Among them, TCL showcased a 115 inch Mini LED TV, Hisense showcased a curved screen laser TV, Midea showcased a smart energy-saving solution, Haier showcased a washing machine that is 60% more energy-efficient than the European A-class, Changhong showcased an AI TV, and Ecovacs showcased a constant pressure vitality floor cleaning robot.
Comment: As one of the three major consumer electronics exhibitions in the world, IFA has gone through a hundred years, witnessing the technological progress of Chinese enterprises and the leap in their position in the global high-end market. This year, TCL, Hisense and other companies have continued to increase their market share in the European home appliance market. The next step for Chinese companies is to further enhance the market share and position of overseas independent brands in the high-end European market.
Venture capital trendsetter
According to data from Qichacha, there were a total of 8 financing events in the semiconductor industry this week (8.31-9.6), an increase of 4 investment and financing events compared to last week (8.24-8.30). Shenzhen Aixin Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. has completed its Series B financing, with Shenzhen Venture Capital as the new investor. Aixin Semiconductor is a professional enterprise engaged in the research and development, manufacturing, and sales of semiconductor front-end measurement and testing equipment. Its products include semiconductor optical thin film measurement equipment, semiconductor optical key dimension measurement equipment, etc. Recently, Yunyinggu was jointly invested by Xiangfeng Investment and Chengdu Ceyuan. After the capital increase, Yunyinggu has a capital reserve of over 1 billion yuan to cope with the rapid growth of performance and industry cycles.
There were 2 financing events in the biopharmaceutical track this week, an increase of 1 from last week's investment and financing volume. Shanghai Yuansong Biotechnology Co., Ltd. completed the Series A investment by Jingyue Investment and Yueneng Fund; Shanghai Yinuosi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, with an issue price of 19.06 yuan per share and a total fundraising amount of approximately 1.602 billion yuan.
There were 2 financing events in the artificial intelligence track, a decrease of 2 compared to last week. There was one financing event in the manufacturing industry, an increase of one from last week.